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Subject: Re: [PHP-DEV] Function boolval()
From: jille@quis.cx (Jille Timmermans)

On 28-04-12 06:27, Kalle Sommer Nielsen wrote:
> 2012/4/27 Jille Timmermans<jille@quis.cx>:
>> I suggest we add a function boolval(). It simply converts the given argument
>> to a boolean, like strval(), intval() and floatval(). I already have an
>> implementation ready[1].
>>
>> Why?
>> * It is missing in the current list of *val()-functions and people expect it
>> to exist. I'd say it is an inconsistency.
>> * It can be used as a callback, which is why a bool-cast does not suffice.
>
> Does it really matter nowadays when we got closures anyway:
>
> $bools = array_map(range('a', 'z'), function($a){ return((boolean) $a); });
>
Closures can achieve the same goal but are less readable as Sebastian 
Krebs already pointed out and still confuses the programmer.

Sherif Ramadan wrote:
> Why is this going to be more beneficial to implement? Is it that you
> feel readability of the closure is too difficult or that you feel
> there is a use case that presents further benefits for implementing a
> boolval function, beyond that of just readability or other subjective
> preferences?
>
> Personally, I would feel something like array_filter(range('a','z'));
> is way more readable than all of the above and makes a lot more sense
> to me.
That's just an example of course. (And doesn't even do the same thing)
>
> Under most circumstances, one does not tend to care about the truth in
> expression unless it is truth. So the following code is far more
> practical than the suggestions being made here:
>
> if (!array_filter(array(0,false,null,'', array()))) {
>    /* The array is made up entirely of falsey values */
> } else {
>    /* The array is not made up entirely of falsey values */
> }
>
> I'm not saying the function is useless. I'm just saying PHP already
> offers more than 1,000 functions through core, alone, and adding just
> one more function that doesn't seem to offer anything new really isn't
> sounding like a promising idea to me. We only add to people's
> confusion more by offering them dozens of choices to accomplish the
> same thing. We've all heard the arguments of "print vs. echo", or X vs
> Y. There's no practical reason to include this in core being presented
> hear apart from "I like it more..."
I do agree it isn't perfect to have both casts and conversion functions 
but we're too late now anyway. They both exist - but the boolval 
conversion function is missing, which is - I think - even worse than 
"yet another function".

-- Jille